Invasive Weeds, Pests and Diseases: Solutions to Secure Australia

Every Australian knows of the havoc wreaked upon this nation by foxes, rabbits, carp, prickly pear and other invasive species. To protect ourselves from more pests like these, we have developed one of the very best quarantine systems anywhere. Australia is among the world leaders in airport, marine and weed biosecurity. But in this fast-changing world, evidence is mounting that we are not securing Australia properly. Pests are invading or spreading in unacceptable numbers.

Few problems confronting Australia match this one in size. The 2004 Senate inquiry into invasive species came to the conclusion that ‘the scale of the problem is enormous and the challenges daunting’. Yet most politicians do not rank invasive species highly. They assume our current policies work.

In truth, Australia lacks a coherent framework for tackling those plant, animal and disease invaders already in Australia. The result is that too many invaders are slipping between the cracks of mismatched State and Territory laws and policies.